Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the Nashville Emmaus Community
November 2015
Worshipping – 24/7 Recently I came across a short writing by Max Lucado on Reaching Out. I would like to share parts of it with you. (I have adapted it slightly.) “Our biblical act of worship is not what we do on Sunday mornings in coats and ties or blue jeans and t-shirts, but our act of worship as a life-long, seven days a week process of placing ourselves upon an altar of sacrifice. Worship is living the principles of Christ in everything we do. You’re worshipping God by what you do all week long.”
Your handshake, your warmth, your walk with Christ, your friendliness, your offering of Emmaus could make a big difference in someone’s life. Did it Emmaus make a difference in your life? How did you feel when someone reached out to you and brought the word of Emmaus into your life? After you went on the Walk, how did it change you? Did it give you a renewed feeling of deeper love and understanding of your faith walk? Of your love of God? Do you want to share that experience with new and old friends?
When you take food to the poor, when you give a word of kindness to someone who needs it, when you write to someone a letter of encouragement or admiration you are in the act of worshipping. In the fast moving pace we live in, we need to reach out to people, build bridges between our hearts. We have that opportunity to provide worship in our lives by offering Emmaus to others. Our Walks brought us to into a deeper and closer understanding of what our faith means and they also showed us how to worship 24/7. We are to reach out to people, share our love of Christ and let them know how they can experience the love and grace of Christ in a deeper way; their continued walk in faith and love can grow and bloom! We can make a friend and bring that friend to a deeper relationship with God through Emmaus. We can share with them an experience that can lead them to worshipping 24/7 in a more profound way. Our Walks are coming in the spring – new opportunities for us to Worship 24/7!
Blessings and peace, Edna Vaughan
In This Issue How Your Walk Helps You Survive.....................................2 Update on Cots.............................................................................3 Christmas Gathering ...................................................................3 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and began walking with them... Luke 24:15
Nashville Emmaus Board Ballot ...........................................4 Events .................................................................................................5 Board Members & Assignments...........................................5
“How Has Your Emmaus Walk Helped You To Survive In This Life?” Psalm 93 is not the only scripture in God’s Word that reminds us clearly that not all of life will be smooth sailing! There will be times when the waves surge and pound our souls with a strong force. David the Psalmist wrote, (v. 3) “The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice,” and they are deafening! But David also reminds us in the next verse (vs. 4) that in the face of the tempest we need to remember, “The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.” “The Lord reigns”! God is clothed with majesty and strength. God sits as King, exalted higher than the waves that rise above us, deeper than their immeasurable depth, greater than the waves’ strongest surge. The trials and storms will not last forever! Yet while there are these trials and storms we can cling to the Lord’s promises of love and faithfulness, for God’s “testimonies are very sure.” (Psalm 93:5) These are truths that we need to remember in our individual lives and in the Nashville Emmaus Community. These are the truths that we were all reminded of when we spent our 72 hours on our Emmaus Walks sometime in the past. These are the truths that I know every one of us wants Pilgrims to hear about when they have the opportunity like we had to experience having their “eyes opened” to these truths on their Emmaus Walk. As I was preparing to serve as the Spiritual Director for the Fall Men’s Walk, I was disappointed that the walk was cancelled due to not having enough pilgrims registered to hold the walk. The team, led by Steve Zuercher, was hard at work with both laity and clergy preparing their talks, previewing their talks, and blending together as the team. They were completing all of the other details to serve the pilgrims when we realized that there would not be enough pilgrims to make the Fall Men’s Walk a reality. Even with all of the preparation seeming futile with the cancellation of the walk, we were and are reminded that God is still in control in all of our lives. Just as our team was struggling with the lack of participation, the Fall Women’s Walk was experiencing the same issues and was also cancelled due to the lack of registrants. As we reflect on own Emmaus Walks, whether 20+ years or just a year ago, we all remember just what an impact it had on our lives; and, still does today. We remember how we have gone through times of trial and testing over the years and how the Emmaus Walk firmly planted in our hearts and souls reminders that God’s Grace is always there to get us through. We were taught on our Emmaus Walk what the hymn writer Jarvis meant when he wrote in a verse: “When overwhelmed with problems, When weak or tired or ill, When storms are fierce and raging Just hear His “Peace, be still.”
I know that you will join with me to pray that God will work to prepare the Nashville Emmaus Community for a new day of ministry and pray that God will work through each of us to see that we help other men and women to have the opportunity on future Emmaus Walks and particularly the Spring 2016 Walks; to experience the laughter, tears, Agape, Holy Communion, silence, food, and the joy of all the ways that God’s Grace is made known on an Emmaus Walk. Your help is needed to join hands with the Emmaus Board and help remind all of us that the Emmaus Walk is not about us, it is about God and about a God that still reigns! God still sits on God’s throne and is still clothed with majesty and strength! As you read this message my prayer for you and for me is a variation of a familiar one: “Come Holy Spirit and kindle in us the fire of Your love! Send forth Your Spirit and we will all be recreated and renew the face of your earth.” De Colores! Allen Weller Nashville Emmaus Community Spiritual Director
Update on Cots: Dear Nashville Emmaus Community,
You may mail your donation to Jon Bell at 854 Goodwin, Hillsboro, TN 37342; or, you may donate by using the link entitled “Donate to Nashville Emmaus Community”.
To those of you who have made contributions to the cot campaign, I’m speaking on behalf of the Nashville Emmaus Board, thank you very much. Just in the few short Thank you very much! weeks since this began we have already received around God Bless You All! $1,700. That is wonderful! After lots of research, we agreed to purchase the cots from Bass Pro Shops. Sam Trott They have a very good cot and are willing to p.s. Let us all continue to pray for the sell it to us at a signifNashville Emmaus Community. icant discount. We are It’s going to come back paying $72 each strong! which is well below regular price. They have also agreed to sell us any additional cots at the same discounted price. At the October meeting, the Board voted to purchase 25 more cots bringing us to a total of 39. Our hope is that we will receive enough additional donations to purchase at least 50 cots.
Reminder: Emmaus Christmas Holiday Gathering Our December gathering is scheduled for December 5th at 6:00 pm Andrew Price United Methodist Church, 2846 Lebanon Pike, Nashville The meal will be potluck. Drinks, plates, napkins and utensils will be provided. SO bring your favorite dish and join us For a joyous Christmas gathering!
2015 Nashville Emmaus Board Ballot: It is time again to elect new board members for the Nashville Emmaus Board. We have 5 lay nominees and 3 clergy nominees. The five laity have agreed to be on the next Board and we need your affirmation through your vote for them. We called several people and even though they were active and willing, this was not the good time for them due to work, aging parents, health, etc. We appreciate them for praying about the invitation extended and making their decisions prayerfully. We have three clergy and ask you to vote for two. All three are and have been active in Emmaus and would be good leaders on our Board. We thank you for taking the time to vote and for being in ministry with us, the Nashville Board. To vote, print off this ballot and mail to Upper Room Emmaus Nashville Community, PO Box 292643, Nashville, TN 37229.
Dec 5 Mar 31-Apr 3 Apr 14-17 Apr 20-21, 27
Gathering Andrew Price United Methodist Church 6 pm Men’s Walk #193 Hermitage UMC Women’s Walk #194 Hermitage UMC Face to Face
Emmaus Board Members & Job Assignments: Name
Job Description
Ball, Doug
Dabball42@gmail.com
Set up/take down
Bell, Jeanne
jonbell0213@gmail.com
Prayer/Gathering
Bell, Jon
jonbell0213@gmail.com
Treasurer/ASD
Bill Owen, Rev.
revwowen@gmail.com
ASD
Chavis, John David
Johnchavis7@gmail.com
Team Selection
Glover, Sandie
sandie.glover@comcast.net
Co Chair/Prayer
Grayson, Steve
sdgrayson@vbhcs.org
Secretary
Griggs, Sandra, Rev
sandragriggs@comcast.net
ASD
Hunt, Carla
CF.Hunt@comast.net
Kitchen
Mabry, Loyd, Rev
loyd.mabry@gmail.com
ASD
Mason, Hugh
masonhugh@tds.net
Sat. Entertainment
Melrose, Jane
jane.melrose@suntrust.com
Agape
Perez, Victor, Rev
visaperez@bellsouth.net
ASD
Snodgrass, Carla
carla@preventchildabuse.org
Registrar
Street, Wilda
wjstreet@att.net
Kitchen
Trott, Sam
Jtrott0409@gmail.com
Set Up/take down
Vaughan, Edna
evaughn@upperoom.org
CLD
Wedekind, Cathy
cathy.wedekind@comcast.net
Newsletter/Com.
Weller, Allen, Rev
wellerrev@comcast.net
CSD
Williams, Randy
rwilliams@covenantservicesTN.com
CLD ChrysalisEx-officio